BONNIE & CLYDE ⌊ five hargreeves ⌉

THREE

⌊ . alone again ⌉

FIVE DIDN'T WANT to do this alone. But he didn't have much time before the world ended, only a few days. On top of that, he was being heavily hunted by the Commission, but he needed someone to trust. His siblings, as he expected, provided no assistance. Despite years away from them, they had annoyed him within a few minutes. If anything, they had all drifted farther apart, and their father's death only pushed them further than closer.

Five winced as he tugged his sleeve over his forearm. The Commission had been surprisingly fast. While he'd never admit it, their sudden arrival at Griddy's, a donut shop Five and his siblings used to spend their limited free time at, had caught him off guard. Still, he had dealt with them--a team of five men obviously oblivious to Five's skill--and their bodies littered the shop. It had only take Five five minutes, give or take.

He'd have to work faster now, since he knew the Commission was already starting to look for him. But-an item in his pocket fell heavy-at least he had a lead. Five took the the small spherical item from his pocket, observing it in the dim street light. A glass eye. Fingers sliding over the cool surface, he observed the serial number on the back. When he had accidentally travelled back to the apocalypse, he had found his siblings dead in front of their home. And entrapped in Luther's hand was this glass eye. Surely it was a clue. It had to be. It was the only thing Five had that could possibly lead him to stopping the impending doom day. With the huff, he shoved the eye back into his pocket.

Five cared for all his siblings, despite how harsh he acted towards them. After all, all the effort he went through-was going through-wasn't because he cared for the world. It was because he had seen his siblings dead and refused to witness it again, especially when he could stop their deaths. Of them all, though, Five had his favorites. One was Ben. He was always sweet and shy and too afraid of his powers. The other was Vanya. Maybe because she was ordinary-although they had all been born on the same day under the same extraordinary circumstances-or maybe she just understood Five the most. He could always talk to her and, typically, she'd known what to say to calm him down.

Five would've gone to Ben first, simply because his power would've been helpful, but he was dead, unfortunately. So, that left Vanya, but perhaps her simplicity was all he needed. He only wanted someone else to help him carry his burden.

Vanya lived in an apartment on the second floor. Five managed to easily slip through the windows into her humble abode. She needed to lock her windows. Rapists can climb. He told her that as she entered her apartment.

She jumped in surprise, but grip softened on the door when she realized it was only him. "You're so weird."

Settling down on the couch besides Five, Vanya observed her brother. Her eyes lingered on Five's collar, where a bright splash of red painted the white.

"Is that blood?"

Five didn't spare a glance. "It's nothing."

Vanya swallowed, "Why are you here?"

She trusted Five of course, but he had changed. He was still a bit of a brat, who thought himself superior to others, but he was also tired. She caught glimpses of it in his eyes when he spoke or as he sat slightly sloughed in her chair. He still radiated power, eyes still dared her to try to best him, but he had grown dull. Wilted. Like a plucked flower that was starting to shrivel up and die. A shiver ran through her spine at the thought. What had Five been through? She was dying to know, especially with all the talk of time and space he had done at the Umbrella Academy mansion. Luckily, that was precisely the reason he had come.

You're the only one I can trust. He told her. Because you are ordinary. Because you'll listen. It still hurt to be called ordinary, despite being told the word for years on a never ending loop. But Vanya was able to look past that for now, and focus on the fact that Five trusted her. When he disappeared, she had waited days and months and years for him. At least she had had Ben, but then he had died and left her alone. And so she had been left with Luther and Allison, who were in some secret relationship; Diego, who refused to talk to anyone but their makeshift mother, Grace; and Klaus, who was forced to spend most of his nights boxed in the basement and was too disturbed to talk after. Despite the obvious torture, Reginald put them through, Vanya couldn't deny the fact that she wanted to be involved. She wasn't truly part of the family because she was powerless and average. She was an outcast, but now she felt somewhat special as Five revealed his secrets.

She catered to his wounds, deciding not to ask questions about the blood or the cut down his forearm, and just listened. But still, everything he told her about the apocalypse was hard for her to swallow and accept.

"The world ends in eight days," Five told her, "And I don't know how to stop it."

Vanya didn't know what to say, if there was anything she could say.

"You think I'm crazy," Five scoffed. During his explanation, Vanya had brewed him some coffee, and he gripped his mug tightly.

"N-no," Vanya stuttered, "It's just a lot to take in."

And it was. Was she just supposed to believe that Five had travelled to the future, witnessed the apocalypse, and that the world was going to end in only eight days? Five could understand why she'd be hesitant to trust him and that she'd need time to process, but-as he'd come to realize over and over again-he didn't have time.

Vanya was trying to understand. She asked him questions and Five gave answers that he had already explained. It was futile.

"You're too young," Five groaned, making his way to the door, " and too naive to understand."

"Wait!" Vanya grasped Five's wrist. "I haven't seen you in a long time and I don't want to lose you again."

She sighed, "Look, it's getting late. I need sleep and I'm sure you do, too." She grabbed a blanket, draping it over the couch. "I'll talk to you in the morning. I promise. Okay?"

Five breathed heavily through his nose before nodding. Vanya gave a small smile.

"Night."

"Night," Five repeated. He watched her slip into her own bedroom before making his way out the apartment.

He couldn't sleep. Not yet. Not while time was ticking down. The glass eye still weighed in his pocket. He needed someone who would trust him and support him without any doubts or questions. Of course his thoughts slipped to her,but she wasn't anywhere near. So, he'd have to go with another. The one who had been with him since the beginning of his fight in the apocalypse:

Dolores.

( . b o n n i e & c l y d e )